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She looked up when she felt someone stand near her and noticed a woman she didn’t know staring directly at her. “Can I help you?” Caroline asked, confused. She was sure she had never seen this woman before, she doubted she would forget seeing someone like her.
“Forgive me for staring, I just did not know how else to get your attention, Lady Caroline,” the woman said, smiling sweetly, leaving Caroline to wonder how she knew her name. “I am Lady Isabella Westworth,” she said simply.
Caroline felt unbalanced as she stared at the woman that had once been the object of her husband’s fascination. The woman standing before her was beautiful with her dark red hair. Caroline remembered the contents of the letter that had been meant for this woman and suddenly wished she had never read it.
She could not understand the feelings that were threatening to overtake her, but she struggled to keep them under wraps, wondering what she could want from her. Caroline offered nothing but a questioning gaze, unable to give voice to her thoughts. She braced herself when the smile on the woman’s face widened at the look on her face.
“I have not seen Alexander today, how is he?” Isabella asked innocently. Caroline bristled at the use of his given name by this woman she did not know and did not care for. Something nagged at her with how the question had been phrased and Caroline felt herself go cold when she realized that Isabella was only asking her how he was doing today. Did that mean they had been meeting?
She shook off the thought. Alexander had spent the last few days glued to her, so there was no way they had seen each other, and he told her that the last time was the only time he had seen her since they wedded. Caroline tried to regain control of her emotions; she was not some schoolgirl that would let carefully framed words bother her.
“My husband is doing well. Better than ever actually,” she replied, returning the woman’s smile with one of hers.
“Oh, that is just wonderful. I am glad that everything is all right between you two. I must tell you I was worried about what impact the gossip would have on you when I heard them myself. Especially because before the wedding and even sometime after, Alexander would have preferred to die than be married to you. He told me that himself, you know, he could not bear being parted from me.” Isabella gave an affected frown.
Caroline found that she could not defend her absent husband to herself anymore. It occurred to her that Isabella would have no way of knowing how he felt after their marriage if Alexander had severed all ties with her like he claimed.
“I suppose he just had to make do with what life handed him since there was no way of escaping you and your mother without causing a scandal.” Isabella looked her up and down as she spoke, making her feel small.
Caroline bit her tongue to stop from lashing out. She had a feigned friendliness about her, and Caroline did not want to reply to her in an unfriendly manner that would draw attention to her and make herself appear to be the bad person.
“Do not speak of my mother in such manner,” Caroline said. Although her mother had played a very big role in her marriage, it would not have been possible if Isabella and Alexander had not been so careless.
“Why should I not speak of her in whatever manner I like? Her desire to get her unmarriable daughter married caused her to ruin the only good I had in my life. I am sure she is already looking for another man she can trick into marrying your sister,” Isabella goaded.
“I had nothing to do with whatever misfortune has caused you to be so bitter. If you had not acted so carelessly, none of this would have happened, now, would it?” Caroline tried so hard to keep her words clear of any anger, but after what Isabella had just said, she could not help but try to hurt the woman’s feelings.
“I know you think you hold some power because he loved you first, but that is all in the past. While our marriage might have started unconventionally, I am the one he is with, and we are happy together. So you can be bitter all you want but it will not change the fact that, now, he chooses to be with me on his own volition.” She made sure to sound confident. Isabella smiled at her.
“You think I am a thing of the past so easily forgotten? Tell me, was Alex able to touch you on your wedding night? The man I know would have ignored you because he was thinking of me. Am I wrong? How long did it take before he could even look at you?” Isabella’s eyes glinted with a knowing look.
Caroline walked away from Isabella with her head held high despite feeling weak-kneed and struggling with the emotions threatening to choke her. She made sure to walk a little way off before stopping to catch her breath and steady herself. She hated that Isabella was right.
“Carol, over here,” she heard her sisters call to her and walked over to them, pasting a little smile on her face as she gave her opinion on things when asked.
“Did something happen? You appear a little downcast,” Ann asked quietly, not wanting the girls and their mother to hear.
“I am all right. Just a little tired from walking down here,” she smiled at her sister. She had decided, on her way over, that she would keep the encounter to herself. Caroline was hurt by Isabella’s words and she knew if she told her family they would make it into a bigger problem than it already was, and all she wanted to do was forget.
As she sat there, reviewing her sisters’ choices, Caroline made up her mind to trust the words of her husband. She believed he cared very much for her, and it would be folly to trust the words of a woman who wanted to hurt her over that of a man whom she cared for deeply. Yet, even as she made this decision, she could not help the fear that threatened to overtake her. Somewhere in her mind there was a tiny sliver of doubt that seemed to grow with each horrible encounter.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Alexander returned home early, in the hope of spending the rest of the day with his wife but was greeted by an empty house. He rolled his eyes at his thoughts. The house was never empty, not with the servants that were constantly roaming about, but now that he had been in her company for so long and had experienced just how wonderful having her with him was, the house felt empty to him.
He went to his study and poured himself a drink, wincing slightly when his throat burned as it went down. He decided to go over his books and see if there was anything he had neglected during the time he spent holed up with his wife in their bedroom, away from the world.
He spent his time with his head down as he pored through the books, and only looked up when he heard footsteps approaching. Alexander smiled at her the moment Caroline appeared in the doorway and stretched out his hand for her to take. He drew her toward him and situated her on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder.
He sighed in contentment as they sat there together in quiet. This was all he needed, her presence after a long day, to soothe him and make him forget whatever ailed him. “The first time I go out in a while, and you were not here when I returned. I missed you dearly,” he said and turned her face to his so he could place a kiss on her lips. Caroline gave him a weak smile instead of her usual grin and he frowned.
“Did something happen?” he asked worriedly. His worry grew as she took her time before she answered him, seemingly lost in thought. Alexander hoped nothing had happened to put her in a bad mood and that if it did, it was something he could fix with ease.
“You do not have to worry, I am well. I merely had a long day with my mother and siblings. It was a bit exhausting running around with them again after being away for a while,” she said, filling Alexander with relief. He got tired out by Colin sometimes and he was his only sibling. It probably truly was exhausting for her to have three.
“Of course, I have to worry about you, you are my wife, and I must make sure nothing makes you unhappy. I am glad it was nothing serious, but perhaps I can help a little with your fatigue,” Alexander grinned and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them.
“I have missed you, darling. Did you miss me as much as I did you?” he whispered against her ear as his hands moved lower, caressing and molding softly. “Tell me you missed me.”
